Estate agents

Beachview_2

Anybody any experience of using Express Estate Agents? I was wary of using them at the start, but now they're listing quite a few properties on Property Pal, so I thought I'd see if any of you have used them.

Just fed up of the company I'm using now, they are a long established company in the area, with a few branches. But to be honest, they're like a bunch of amateurs. Their office staff can't handle simple tasks, and the EA's photos were terrible.

So I'm thinking of leaving them when the contract's up. Why throw away 1% of the sale to them when their work has been so shoddy.

steveymp

I hope you haven't paid a listing fee to them ? if so ask for it back, most EA's should be tripping over themselves in current market to keep their customers happy.

On the issue of photos, take your own and email them to the EA, take plenty and include all rooms and land around the house from various angles, it really improves your chance of a sale or at least more viewings.

I used a small local EA in the North West to sell mine and bought from another, both were very good and available to call into in person at anytime, face to face gets a lot more done than a phone conversation

I haven't used Express, but I see they list on property pal which is essential for any agent you use.

My advice, go around all local firms, negotiate fees and play them off one another, oh and be open and realistic with your pricing in the current market. Good luck with the sale.

Beachview_2

All but one agent here charges listing fees. I don't know about asking for that back, what grounds would we have? They haven't broken their contract, and it wouldn't go down well with them, unless leaving them. Now if we were leaving them I would look for the fee back. I can't kick up too much of a fuss with them now though as they have all the power, being in charge of passing on details of anyone wanting viewings.

I've redone most of their photos, and they've finally manged to update them, after a phone call today. I told them to remove one of their bad photos it took them 3 days to remove it, and of course they took another one off with it. I hadn't got time to chase them up over it.

Round here they all charge the same fees. I was looking forward to playing them against each other to negotiate a better fee but they were all charging the same.

steveymp

I didn't mind paying my listing fee of £100 plus VAT at the time because my agent was quiet good at promoting the property and amended anything I wasn't happy with the same day. I don't mind paying for a service I receive, you seem to have had a bad service, when your 6 months expire explain this to your agent and tell them you will keep them on if they refund the fee.

A relative of mine was selling at the same time I was and he went around several agents to get one who would list without a fee, they all have a 1% standard selling fee so not much to negotiate there but he got his listed and sold within 3 months at his agent. He swears it was the fact that they were determined to get something off him that made them promote it more:rotfl:

Beachview_2

They haven't been able to offer me any feedback on what is putting people off. It would be good to know if there is anything else in particular that viewers don't like when the come. Yes price is always going to be part of it but I want to know if there is anything else, maybe something I can change.

There have been 5 viewers, and one of them took a second viewing, but went for a newbuild with a bigger kitchen.

I do have a feeling they did the old EA trick of overpricing to get the business. When I asked about feedback, she said there was none but they would try to get it from now on. The office manager said she feels a price reduction may help sell the property, and what price do I feel would help sell the property. How would I know, I'm not the EA, surely they should have set the right price in the first place. Typical.

tommie

Is your house priced around RV or higher?
Check out your house here http://lpsni.gov.uk/vListDCV/districts.asp

this is a very rough guide, most sell quite a bit under this.

I know i wouldn`t buy these days at anything over RV.

avenida

tommie wrote: »

Is your house priced around RV or higher?
Check out your house here http://lpsni.gov.uk/vListDCV/districts.asp

this is a very rough guide, most sell quite a bit under this.

I know i wouldn`t buy these days at anything over RV.

Yes this is so true, my current house sold for 2K below my rateable value which I thought was really good, even before it was advertised on the net. There are so many houses on the market for a lot more than the rateable value and the owners wonder why they arent selling!